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Hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) caused by the Hantann virus occurs frequently in Korea. On the other hand, the incidence of HFRS is very low in Jeju Island. A 62-year-old man was transferred from another hospital because of persistent fever, myalgia, generalized edema, epigastric pain, conjunctival injection, costovertebral angle tenderness, thrombocytopenia and azotemia. On the second hospital day, he exhibited oliguric symptoms. His urine output increased from the fourth hospital day. The test for the anti-Hantaan virus antibody was positive. Finally, he was diagnosed with HFRS and recovered with conservative management. HFRS should be considered when acute renal failure develops in patients with fever and thrombocytopenia in Jeju Island. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report two cases of the aberrant vertebral artery, which originated from the part of the aortic arch about 2.5 cm distal to the left of the subclavian artery origin. The aberrant vertebral arteries were relatively hypoplastic. Herein, we review the previous reported cases in the literature and discuss embryologic basis and clinical implication of this variation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to elucidate the cytotoxic mechanism of Compound K, with respect to the involvement of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the mitochondrial involved apoptosis, in HT-29 human colon cancer cells. Compound K exhibited a concentration of 50% growth inhibition (IC50) at 20 μg/mL and cytotoxicity in a time dependent manner. Compound K produced intracellular ROS in a time dependent fashion; however, N-acetylcysteine (NAC) pretreatment resulted in the inhibition of this effect and the recovery of cell viability. Compound K induced a mitochondria-dependent apoptotic pathway via the modulation of Bax and Bcl-2 expressions, resulting in the disruption of the mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm). Loss of the ΔΨm was followed by cytochrome c release from the mitochondria, resulting in the activation of caspase-9, -3, and concomitant poly ADP-ribosyl polymerase (PARP) cleavage, which are the indicators of caspase-dependent apoptosis. The apoptotic effect of Compound K, exerted via the activation of c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase (JNK) and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), was abrogated by specific MAPK inhibitors. This study demonstrated that Compound K-mediated generation of ROS led to apoptosis through the modulation of a mitochondria-dependent apoptotic pathway and MAPK pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Type 5 adenylyl cyclase (AC5) is highly concentrated in the dorsal striatum and nucleus accumbens (NAc), two brain areas which have been implicated in motor function, reward, and emotion. Here we demonstrate that mice lacking AC5 ( AC5−/−) display strong reductions in anxiety-like behavior in several paradigms. This anxiolytic behavior in AC5−/− mice was reduced by the D1 receptor antagonist SCH23390 and enhanced by the D1 dopamine receptor agonist, dihydrexidine (DHX). DHX-stimulated c- fos induction in AC5−/− mice was blunted in the dorso-lateral striatum, but it was overactivated in the dorso-medial striatum and NAc. The siRNA-mediated inhibition of AC5 levels within the NAc was sufficient to produce an anxiolytic-like response. Microarray and RT-PCR analyses revealed an up-regulation of prodynorphin and down-regulation of cholecystokinin (CCK) in the NAc of AC5−/− mice. Administration of nor-binaltorphimine (a kappa opioid receptor antagonist) or CCK-8s (a CCK receptor agonist) reversed the anxiolytic-like behavior exhibited by AC5−/− mutants. Taken together, these results suggest an essential role of AC5 in the NAc for maintaining normal levels of anxiety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]